This being Wednesday, it means that we’re about to go past the mid-week mark and then the weekend will be getting closer. Time for some links.
paidContent’s Staci D. Kramer has Fox Sports El Presidente por Vida David Hill says sports leagues will cut off their noses in spite of their faces if they continue to keep certain rights for themselves.
USA Today’s Michael Hiestand says boxer Floyd Mayweather is a pay per view star.
R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel News says the Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight was the second highest grossing non-heavyweight pay per view fight.
The Wall Street Journal picks up a story from Durga Raghunath in India Real Time that YouTube’s India Premier League cricket channel is a big success.
Glen Dickson of Broadcasting & Cable writes that Comcast will pick up ESPN 3D when it launches in June.
Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine says the NBA Playoffs have steered TNT to its third straight win in the cable primetime weekly ratings.
David Goetzl of Mediapost says ABC and ESPN are seeing increased upfront ad sales from last year, but the amount of money coming in still pales in comparison before the recession.
The Associated Press reports ESPN is teaming up with a New York-based writing organization on a new award.
David Whitford of CNNMoney talks with executive Steve Greenberg, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, who ran Classic Sports Network and College Sports TV before selling them for big bucks.
Parade magazine’s Hollywood Wire blog says Erin Andrews broke down over Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s stalker joke on The View last week.
And Us adds that Erin never spoke to Hasselbeck despite reports to the contrary. Thanks to The Big Lead for the link.
Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union notes the latest two media inductees into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Pete says PBS will air Ken Burns’ sequel to his extensive Baseball documentary that originally aired in 1994 and has been reaired on MLB Network over the last two years.
Pete adds that the Yankees and YES have pulled a switcheroo over today’s day-night doubleheader.
Keith Groller at the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia will have a Phillies-Flyers doubleheader today.
Leonard Shapiro of the Washington Post remembers Ernie Harwell.
Dan Steinberg in the Post’s Sporting Bog says MASN’s ratings for the Nationals are going up and fast.
Jim Williams of the Washington Examiner says the NHL needs another national TV partner.
Mitch Vingle of the Charleston (WV) Gazette says the Big East is exploring whether to launch its own television network.
Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times has Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carl Crawford not appreciative of some Bobby Valentine criticism on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight.
Stephen Nohlgren and Tom Jones of the Times says TV ratings for the Rays are up, but it’s Fox Sports Florida that’s reaping the benefits.
Andrew Carter at the Orlando Sentinel says the ACC hopes to finalize a new TV contract this week.
Joe Scalzo of the Youngstown (OH) Vindicator says rock group O.A.R.’s “This Town” has become a sports anthem for ESPN and Fox Sports.
Terry Foster of the Detroit News says Paul Carey says his former broadcast partner, Ernie Harwell, wasn’t appreciated across the country.
To Ed Sherman at Crain’s Chicago Business who says the Big Ten’s planned expansion has to make economic sense for the conference.
Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that MLB Walking, Talking Conflict of Interest Bud Selig scored reasonably well in an ESPN The Magazine players poll.
Michael Russo from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says Fox Sports North has signed an extension of its contract with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
Eric Young of the San Francisco Business Times says the Big 12 and Pac 10 Conferences are discussing an alliance for TV rights.
Jon Wilner at the San Jose Mercury News looks inside the new ESPN/ESPN2/ABC Pac 10 football schedule.
Brue Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail previews a CBC investigation into the whereabouts of a disgraced hockey coach.
Ed DeRosa of the Thoroughbred Times says NBC has plenty of storylines to choose from for this Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.
Lauren Hatch at Busines
s Insider writes that Fox Sports is increasing its online content in an attempt to fight ESPN.com.
Radio newsletter All Access reports that Peter Gammons will appear on various Sporting News Radio affiliates across the country.
Steve Lepore at Puck The Media looks at when the NHL Conference Finals could begin.
Sports Media Watch has the weekend overnight ratings.
SMW says Lakers-Jazz on Saturday did very well on ABC.
The SMW says sweeps in the NBA Conference Semifinals aren’t helping the ratings.
And SMW has Fox seeing improvements in its NASCAR ratings.
That will do it for today.
